The Demolition of Romance
by Velvien
Summary: Dating is hardly Ragna's strong suit. Ragna/Tsubaki three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: First off, a lot of credit to Gleam here. This fic started way back in February and flipped hands between us a few times, so some parts are largely his writing. This is only going to be a three-shot; I figure I have enough lengthy fics centered on this pairing at this point.**

* * *

_You? Get yerself a date? Hogwash. Ya ain't got the foggiest how to treat a woman_.

The accented words hung in Ragna's ears, even ten minutes after their utterance. Words that had sparked Ragna into challenging that claim, displaying for the nth time that he had no ability whatsoever to think ahead. And so now, here he was, looking for the first pretty chick to ask out. He had no idea what to say, no idea what he would do if whoever it was rejected him, and he definitely had no idea what the hell if she actually said yes. Probably stutter like a dumbass until she thought better of it. "God damn you, Jubei."

"Huh?" A girl seated on a nearby bench glanced up at his curse. A book rested in her lap, which only moments before had been her sole focus. Attention grabbed by the name at the end of Ragna's curse, Tsubaki blinked once at the man crossing in front of her. "What did…?"

Recognition struck her. Red coat. Spiked white hair. …No sword, but there was still little doubt to who this man was. She slumped back, dizzied by the reality that she stood mere feet from the Grim Reaper… that she had just spoken to him, even if it was inadvertent. And she was unarmed at the present, off-duty and trying to enjoy a rare break. Goosebumps rose on her arms. She turned back to her book, and quickly said, "No, never mind."

"Huh?" Ragna turned to her and echoed her blink. He looked her over once; no one he knew. But of course not; he didn't know any civilians here, after all. He opened his mouth to dismiss her… and paused to look over her again. Female? Check. Pretty? Check. Unlikely to haul his ass off to the Librarium? Probably check. Might as well get this shit over with.

In the corner of her eye, Tsubaki noticed Ragna looking her over. With a light blush, she turned to glare at him. "Is there something I can help you with?"

When in doubt, do something stupid. "You're hot. Wanna go out?" And then brace for incoming slap.

Tsubaki stared at him for half a second. Her mouth dropped open and a stuttering breath escaped from the sheer incomprehensibility of the request. "Wha… e-excuse me… come again?"

"Shit…um…" Ragna ran his hand through his hair with a grimace. Goddammit, just reject him already! Should he ask her about her hair, or… No, he got it. "I mean, um… where do you like to eat?"

This was really happening. For whatever reason, the Grim Reaper was asking her for a date. Dazed by her horrible luck, it was all Tsubaki could do to offer him the blankest of stares and stutter. "I…um…"

"I got the tab, if you want." Although with what money he was supposed to pay the tab, he had no idea. He plopped down on the bench beside her, knowing full well he had just placed himself within slapping range as soon as she came to her senses. "Uh, what's your name, anyways?"

…She was dreaming. That had to be it. There was no other explanation for the Grim Reaper to appear out of nowhere and ask her out on a…date… Tsubaki gave a shake of her head. If that was the case, then might as well go along with it. "Tsubaki. And I'm not particularly familiar with this place, so I can't properly answer your question." So maybe she wasn't going to be happy with the arrangement, but…

"Cool. Let's go." And without waiting for Tsubaki's response, Ragna hooked her arm with his and started off in a random direction, the expression of boredom and annoyance in equal measure not altering in the least. Okay, if this didn't prompt rejection, he doubted anything would.

Tsubaki made no effort to fight, but just gaped at him, and tucked her book under her free arm. Oh god, she was being dragged along by Ragna the Bloodedge for a romantic interlude. If this were not a dream—scratch that, a nightmare, her life and her dignity would have both been massacred in one fell swoop. "U-um…I think I saw a decent looking place this way…" And why on earth was her mouth _still_ moving? She pondered the virtues of stapling it shut. But then, if this was the direction this nightmare chose to take, why not see where it leads?

"Awesome." Ragna herded her onwards, still wondering when she'd come to her senses and get the hell away from him at top speed. If she didn't, however, if she actually went through with this…

_In your face, furball_.

* * *

Soon enough, Ragna led Tsubaki inside a restaurant by the name of Marleducci's. The entrance was all dark wood and Italian landscape paintings with some kind of dotty art scheme. It looked important, although he really couldn't give a shit. He stepped forward to an older, distinguished gentlemen that stared at him in mild alarm, and said, "Hey, we're gonna eat here, alright? Gimme a table."

The headwaiter frowned at him, eyes glancing to the bone-pale woman whose arm was still linked with Ragna's, and wondered if he should call the NOL. "Do you even have a reservation, young man?"

"Does it look like I do?" Ragna scowled, fist balling. "Tsubaki, you wanna help here?"

"Um…" Tsubaki dug into a pocket and produced a wallet, with an ID card clearly showing. She handed it to the waiter, thus revealing her identity and, more importantly, her status as a Duodecim heir. "Is there any chance you could let us eat here, anyways? My apologies, I know it's a lot to ask for, and I understand if you can't…"

The waiter looked over the card three times to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. The daughter of the Yayoi family, with the Grim Reaper? He could make nothing of it. Nothing sensible, at least. Still, a noblewoman was requesting the right to eat here. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." As the waiter scrambled away, Tsubaki pocketed her wallet again and looked down. '…Are you… entirely serious about this being a date? I don't… um…"

Ragna gave her a strange look that wheezed the breath out of her body. "Yeah. You're pretty. You haven't stabbed me yet. And Coeson wrote the only biography of Jubei worth a damn, or so the fleabag says. Three for three."

"…What?" Tsubaki gaped at him in utter confusion. After a moment, she looked down at her book and brought its cover into view. She did a double-take when she saw the author's name. Coeson, just like Ragna had said. "Wait, what…?"

Having followed her gaze the whole way, Ragna chuckled and gave her a smirk. "Yep. Intelligent, nice, and pretty. Why wouldn't I be serious about this?"

The bizarre appraisal put Tsubaki on her back foot, scrambling the best she could for a response. Very few paid much mind to her idolization of the Six Heroes, and having someone besides her friends react to her reading material—without mockery, at that—was alien. "I…uh. You know a lot about him…?"

Before Ragna could respond, the waiter returned and beckoned to them. "We do have a free table. Please come this way."

"Awesome." Ragna hooked Tsubaki's arm again and they followed the elderly man along. "And I only know what's on the author's flap. Coeson didn't do much worth a damn besides that."

Tsubaki resisted the urge to bury her face in a palm. "I meant Jubei."

"The fucking cat." As they reached the table, Ragna slumped as deep as he could in his seat. "Yeah, I know him. Congrats to Coeson for being the only writer ever not to edit out the furball's drinking."

As Tsubaki took her own seat across from Ragna—wondering how many of the unwritten laws of etiquette he planned to shatter by the end of the date—she fought with the implication that Ragna knew Jubei personally. She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it as the waiter placed down a basket of warm bread, menus and cups of some herbal tea for both of them, before scurrying back to the kitchens. In an effort to mend her shattered nerves, Tsubaki took her cup and gulped down a deep sip. "So that's… accurate, I see. Somewhat startling."

Ragna shrugged as, with a wrinkled nose, he prodded the hot drink with a finger before licking it. Tsubaki died a little inside at the sight. "The Heroes weren't saints, you know. People take away the little bits to better idolize the powerful. To act like people like Jubei, or Valk, were always magnificent and powerful and all that shit. They weren't, and it's stupid to pretend it. Master drinks a lot. He's kinda an ass at times, and his training would kill most people by the end of the month. He's a great foster-parent, though—to about anyone, if Luna not hating him's any indication. And a damn long time ago, he did a something that saved a lot of people. Jubei in a nutshell for you." With another shrug, Ragna took a full, if cautious sip of the drink. And nearly spat it back out.

Tsubaki realized her lips were parted as she stared at the man across the table from her with her lips just slightly open, and found her composure once more. Red seared on her cheeks, and she fidgeted with her hands in her lap, trying to….encapsulate the baffling duality of Ragna. She couldn't decide if she should punch him in the face and run off screaming, or beg on bended knee for stories about a Hero he knew very well, or just….

She coughed, flushing deeper. "That's…enlightening. Thank you."

"Ain't a problem." Ragna glanced around, then turned and poured the still-steaming tea into a potted vine-stand beside their table. He picked up the menu and scowled at it. "The hell language is this? Why do I have to read gibberish to make an order here?"

"These higher-class restaurants tend to have menus written in the native language of their cuisine. No matter how long-forgotten the language largely is. In this case, it's Italian." Tsubaki frowned and sighed. "And I can't read it, either. I'm from closer to what used to be France and Germany, so the restaurants there favored those particular styles, rather than Italian."

"Wonderful. So how are we supposed to order?"

"We ask the waiter what's what. It's about our only option."

"…Gah. What the hell ever." Ragna leaned forward onto his elbows, grumbling to himself. He scowled down at the teacup, wishing he had something decent to drink. God damned plant juice.

With a light scowl of disapproval, Tsubaki idly stirred her tea, awaiting the waiter's return. Why had she gone along with this? Even if this were a dream, it was bound to open into Hell itself any moment now. What Hadean horrors awaited her she could only imagine; she knew nothing of how the Grim Reaper operated, and thus only phantasms of her own vivid construction could lie in store. Hopefully, she would be able to awaken before the worst of the tempest hit. "Why did you ask me out?" She already knew the answer; in what world would a dreamer not be the subject of her own dream?"

"Because Jubei said I'd never get a date. So I just went asked the first chick I saw. Think it worked out pretty decently."

Tsubaki blinked. "I…uh, see." Wait, wait, wait, what sin had she committed that made the Grim Reaper of all people like her? …Dream. This was all a dream, so she shouldn't take everything so seriously. And upon awakening, she would go see a psychology to try and figure out just what the _hell_ was wrong with her. If her subconscious was coming up with garbage like this… "…And are you actually enjoying this?"

Ragna gave a noncommittal grunt and a shrug. "Not really, but that's because I'm thirsty as hell and tea doesn't sit right with me. You? You're fine. No problems with you. And, uh…" He glanced away, trying to recall the Edicts of Not Being an Asshole. "How about you? Enjoying yourself and shit?"

"I…" Ragna's words brought a light blush to Tsubaki's cheek, no matter how much she wanted to despise them. With a grunt, she forced herself to turn her head away, although it only cast the red on her cheek in sharper relief for him. Was that what this mongrel was aiming for? Death by embarrassment? "…I'm doing fine. Although I have to wonder if I can add kidnapping charges to your list of crimes for this."

"Hey. You didn't have to come, you know. Could've just said no and I'd have left you alone." Despite his words, Ragna chuckled. "Hell, I was trying to get rejected there anyways. Didn't expect this to actually work."

"…Well, I don't really know why I accepted, anyways." Of course she did. By now, Tsubaki had to admit she was at least curious where this dream was going. And this caricature of Ragna the Bloodedge was, at this point, intriguing. Rude and vulgar, but with the sense to at least attempt veil it behind forced politeness. Of a sort. "Did you have anything planned for after dinner?"

"Huh?" Ragna pulled back, utterly baffled. "You'd actually be up for that?"

"Against all semblance of common sense, I'd like to see where this goes. So, yes."

"Well, uh…" Ragna glanced aside and rubbed the back of his head. Well, this was getting to be a bit more than he bargained for. He had no idea what to do next; the entire concept of 'dates' was foreign, something never worth even thinking about. Until now, when he found himself trapped in one. But hey, maybe this Tsubaki chick had a better idea of what to do. "Well, honestly, didn't think you'd even come with me, so…uh, no, don't got anything planned. Uh. Sorry?"

"Oh, no, it's fine." Tsubaki offered him a reassuring smile before she could restrain the instinct. Looking down, she tapped her lip in thought. "Hmm… I can't think of anything myself offhand. Maybe we could see what's on the way when you walk me home?"

Ragna blinked. Walk her home? What, did she need someone to guide her or something? In which case, he'd do her absolutely no good. "Uh…is walking the girl home a normal thing with dates?"

"Yes." Tsubaki couldn't restrain a light giggle. "Social etiquette escapes you, doesn't it?"

"Hey, not like I have to deal with that shit often." Still, he nodded. Her suggestion made a fair amount of sense, he supposed. And nothing else came to mind for him, or at least nothing better than that. "Sure. Works for me. Um…"

He scowled and looked away. "Hope I'm not offending you or nothing."

"You're…tolerable, thus far." And indeed, this whole 'date' thing he had blindsided her with out of the blue was proving less loathsome than anticipated. She had to wonder if her imagination had merely eroded the Grim Reaper's sharpest edges; there was no way the real Ragna would be this… She couldn't even describe him. "That's more than I expected from you, to be frank."

With a light laugh, Ragna smirked at her. "Well. Glad I'm exceeding expectations, at least."

"Mm." Tsubaki drained the remainder of her tea. Might as well make the most of this. "…Maybe we could head to the pinnacle of the city? It's, um…" She blushed slightly, averting her gaze. "I hear it's a very nice view up there. Very, um, romantic."

"Eh… doesn't sound exciting." Ragna held in the urge to slap himself for that remark. "But hell, if it's what you wanna do, sure. I'm probably wrong as hell about it anyways."

"Oh! Um… thank you, then." Tsubaki beamed at him, cheeks colored red. "So, we'll head to the pinnacle, take me back, and do whatever we feel like in the interim?"

Ragna offered a thumbs-up and a wry smirk, while watching a waiter approach. "Works for me."

"Good…day." The waiter arrived, nervousness evident by the bead of sweat dripping down his cheek. "I hope you are…enjoying yourselves so far. Could I interest you in some vintage Merlot…?"

"Nah." Ragna slid the utterly illegible menu toward the waiter. "Read that shit, will you?"

Tsubaki sighed. That idiot had a lot to learn about charm.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Should be uploading a lot of stuff in the coming weeks, as the college semester just wrapped up. Also, for those who haven't seen it, new poll.**

* * *

"Um… thanks for dinner, Ragna." Tsubaki cast her eyes down and away, as forcing herself to look at Ragna would surely bring a blush of pure embarrassment. A noblewoman, treated to dinner by the Grim Reaper? The notion was absurd. She did, however, extend her arm toward him. Twilight extended overhead as they walked through brick streets and between the myriad shops of one of the city's business districts.

"Ain't a problem, Tsu." Amazed that he'd been able to scrounge up enough dough to actual pay and not drag Tsubaki off in a dine-and-dash, Ragna smiled down at her, hands in his pocket. However, as her hand dangled right next to him, he blinked. "Uh…?"

Tsubaki gave him a wry smirk. "I'm requesting to take you by the arm."

"Oh. Uh, sure." Ragna dragged his hand back out into the chilly night air and hooked Tsubaki's arm behind the elbow. A shiver traced its way down his spine at the contact, and a light burn seared on his cheek. "So, uh… what now?"

"We go to the pinnacle." Smiling, Tsubaki tugged him along. Okay, so this was honestly pretty nice; Ragna had proven tolerable enough, although she wasn't about to let her guard down at all. Even if she did have to work on his etiquette… As soon as Ragna had fallen into step beside her, she peered up at him. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Jubei, anyways?"

Ragna shrugged. "Trained me. Looked after me for a good while, too. Why?" He met her gaze with a smirk. "You sure seem interested in the cat."

"Oh, um…" With a blush, Tsubaki looked down. No harm in going on about this, right? Especially if she was dreaming. …Which, she had to admit, was becoming more doubtful by the minute. "It's just admiration, really. For all of the Six Heroes. Particularly Hakumen."

Ragna's eyes went cold and distant. "Hakumen, huh?"

"Y…yes." Tsubaki froze up for a step, suddenly debating a desperate flight from Ragna. "I… take it you don't like him?"

"…It's nothing." And just like that, the danger in his grip and eyes lifted. Ragna cursed himself; he could feel Tsubaki's fear. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin what they had going so far by terrifying her with his… Grim Reaperness. The night had been nice so far, after all. "Uh, sorry about that. So, uh… you admire them, you said?"

"Mm, yes." Tsubaki couldn't force herself to look back up at him; not after seeing that cold hatred in his eyes for Hakumen. "Very much. I… grew up on stories about them, and that largely shaped me. I want to emulate their deeds as much as I can. And since Hakumen was, according to most depictions, the de facto leader, I gravitated to him the most."

"Gotcha. Yeah, they did some amazing shit." Looking away, Ragna gave her hand a squeeze to try and reassure her. "It's just… uh, Hakumen's kinda still around. And the bastard really has it out for me."

"…You've fought him?"

"Yeah. Not something I ever wanna do again."

"Mm, I see." Finally, Tsubaki dared to look at him again. "I'm sorry for bringing him up, then."

Ragna chuckled. "It's fine, don't worry about it." He reached over with his free hand and gave her head a quick rub, eliciting a squeak. "So, alright if I ask what you do?"

"H-hey! Stop that!" Tsubaki ducked away and tried to cover her head the best she could. When she peered up, ill-concealed amusement lurked just behind her façade of indignation, betrayed by the light upward curve of her lips. "I… um… you probably don't want to know what I do, actually. And I'm fairly certain most people don't choose to mess up their date's hair."

"Well, you don't seem to actually mind." Ragna wrenched his arm free of Tsubaki's and drew her into a sidelong hug around her shoulders. Just for her reaction. "And, uh… NOL, I guess?"

"Ah…! Ah…" Tsubaki looked down, face bright red and all semblance of composure shattered. She trudged along with him out of instinct, so taken aback she couldn't come up with any sort of response. "…Yes…?"

"Huh. Fair enough. And don't worry, not gonna hold that against you or nothing." As he grinned down at her, Ragna's eyes traced along her body. The hand cupping her shoulder drifted down, a deliberate caress down her side and to her waist. He pulled her in closer, forcing himself to look forward. "So, what branch?"

"…Please stop that. It's crass." Tsubaki kept her eyes squarely on the ground so as to hide her blush. "And to answer your question, I'm currently a First Lieutenant in the Wings of Justice."

"…Er, sorry." Ragna released his grip around her waist and, after a moment's consideration, hooked her arm. To his relief, she didn't rebuke him, but rather linked her arm with his again. Okay, he'd gotten his reaction. Now time to stop being a dumbass with the girl. "Zero Squadron, huh? Never actually met them, for whatever reason. Uh, alright if I ask what it's like? Working for them?"

"Oh, no, it's fine." Composure regained, Tsubaki looked up at him with a small smile. Whether his actions were just more of his lack of etiquette, or a deliberate attempt to fluster her, she didn't know. But for now, she just assumed it was the former, and hoped she could at least partially correct of breaches of tact before the night was over. "Well, um… it honestly tends to boil down to simple city patrols, often in groups. Nothing too interesting, really, although we attempt to stay in the shadows far more than the common soldiers. However, as the de facto assassins of the NOL, we are often assigned targets to track down. I… don't think I need to describe what that entails."

"Nah, I gotcha." Ragna's lips drew into a frown. This girl, a killer? He had trouble believing it. "So, uh… how often are you assigned 'targets'? You ever killed anyone?"

Face darkening, Tsubaki looked down and shook her head. "…No, I haven't. I'm still fairly new to Wings. I have only received two targets so far, and I… have not been successful in terminating them. And honestly? I hope I never have to."

"…So why the Wings, then?"

"Because justice and order must be upheld."

"Right…" Ragna looked away, his pace stiff and forced by this point. "I'm, uh…"

"I have no intention of trying to bring you in, if that's what you're worried about." Tsubaki smiled up at him and, upon seeing his stony face, shifted her hand to give his a light, reassuring squeeze. She had to hold in a giggle at the blush that stretched across his cheeks, barely visible in the fading light. "I'm currently off-duty and unarmed, after all. Nor will I report your presence here." And because this was just a dream, and thus all of this was okay… right?

"Huh. Okay." Before Ragna could return her squeeze, her hand left his. "So, uh, how much longer to the pinnacle?"

* * *

The path up towards the peak of the mountain the city was built on, passed under the clear night with idle chatter, eventually took them by a small carnival. Red and white tents dotted the road, and a towering Ferris wheel rose high above everything, illuminated by multicolored lights stretching along its spokes. As they passed alongside the carnival, Tsubaki slowed down to look it over and consider. Ragna turned to her and followed her gaze to the giant wheel. "Hey. Wanna go check that place out?"

"Oh!" Tsubaki turned back to him in surprise, glanced back at the carnival, and finally met his gaze with an excited smile. "I-if it's not too much trouble, yes, please. It's…been ages for me."

Ragna couldn't help but grin back at her. "You don't get out much or something? And I don't got a problem with this."

"No, I don't. I'm, um…" Tsubaki flushed with embarrassment. With these words, she could radically alter the dynamics of their…well, acquaintanceship, she supposed it was. But at the same time, this wasn't something she should hold in much longer. Best to get it out of the way. "…I should probably mention I'm of noble birth."

"Noble, huh? Like, Duodecim?" Ragna looked over her curiously, before tugging her arm in the direction of the carnival. "Don't worry, ain't gonna bite your head off or nothing over it. Been wondering how you got that shithead to let us into the restaurant, and being a noblewoman would probably do it."

"…Yes. Yayoi." Tsubaki fell silent, nervous eyes cast on the side of Ragna's smiling face. Any moment now, this whole thing would turn sour… But no. Ragna just continued to shepherd her toward the games ahead, and she felt some semblance of life come back to her step. Of course he wasn't going to hurt her in her dream… Although by now, it had lasted long enough that she was starting to doubt it was a dream. Too real for too long now. Comfortable once more, she looked up at him with a smile. "Well, um, thanks."

Ragna grinned down at her and, to her utter surprise and embarrassment, wrapped his arm around her waist for a brief side-hug. "Ain't a problem. Um, let me know if you see something you wanna do. I don't have the first damn idea what to do in a place like this."

"Oh, um, alright…" As she spoke, Tsubaki trailed off and came to a stop as she gazed upon something. A simple shooting game awaited her, with its myriad prizes on display. And at the forefront was a large plush animal of sorts, somewhat feline in appearance but carrying a certain familiarity in the shape of its head, in the trail of silver hair ponytailed back, in the mock sword strapped across its back. Tsubaki just gaped at it.

Ragna followed her gaze and quirked an eyebrow. "Uh…the hell is that? Looks like someone took Hakumen and made him into a cat."

Tsubaki nodded.

After a few moments of no further reply, Ragna sighed. The girl was totally mesmerized by the stuffed creature. But then, he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised, judging by how much she seemed to worship the Six Heroes. "…You want me to get it for you?"

Tsubaki nodded.

"Alright. Just give me a minute to actually win at this game."

Tsubaki nodded.

Chuckling at her continued wistful stare, Ragna stepped forward to the tent's counter and leaned on his elbow. "Hey. How much to play, and what do I gotta do to get the Hakumen thingy?"

The operator sneered at him and spat to the side. "You get lost before I get every vigilante and NOL soldier in the area on you, and you hope you find someone who actually caters to criminals."

Ragna didn't even have to look back to know that Tsubaki must have had the most devastated expression imaginable on her face right now. And he didn't want to leave her in such a state. These date things were supposed to be fun, right? Yeah, not letting that asshole ruin her night. "Yeah, and I'm trying to get the thing for that noble heiress behind me. You don't want her to be sad, right?"

"Don't care. Get out of here."

With a snarl and growl, Ragna started forward. However, a hand fell on his shoulder and stopped him. He glanced back to see Tsubaki. As he expected, she looked beyond hurt. However, she shook her head and gave his hand a gentle tug. "Please, don't worry about it. I… don't want you getting in trouble for my sake."

Ragna turned back to her and met her gaze for several seconds. Goddamn everything… As her hand squeezed his shoulder, he allowed himself to calm a bit. At least to the point where he didn't feel like destroying the man where he stood. "…Alright. Hey, carnie. She allowed to try, or are you gonna pull some shit that since she's with me, she can't?"

Tsubaki froze up a moment before shaking her head with vehemence. "Oh, no, don't worry about it. Really. I'm… not exactly good at these games, anyways. Let's… just go."

The operator scoffed. "Just get out of here, Reaper."

"…Fine. Whatever, asshole." Ragna followed as Tsubaki gave another tug to coax him away. Once they were out of the operator's earshot, he sighed and came to a stop. "…Sorry. Wish I could get the thing for you, but that stupid…"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." Tsubaki lifted a hand before pausing. And then decided if this was a dream, then there was no harm, and ran a pair of fingers down his cheek. Of course, in the event that this wasn't actually a dream… Well, no, it should be fine even then.

Ragna flinched as though he'd been slapped. He coughed and averted his gaze to best hide the blush that was no doubt steaming on his cheeks. "…Well, uh… If you say so…"

"Mm." With a blush of her own, Tsubaki glanced away. "I, uh, need to… uh, wash up really fast. If… that's okay."

With a chuckle, Ragna nodded, although a plan took root in his mind. He would get her the toy. No goddamn matter what. "Alright. I'll be right here."

"Alright. I'll be right back." And with that, Tsubaki dashed off, searching.

The moment she was out of sight, Ragna turned around and marched back to the tent, mind still abuzz with ideas. He had to make this work. As he approached the tent, he snarled at the operator. No one else was around, which was all too convenient. He considered the possibility that he was, in fact dreaming. Everything here was going well enough for that to be the case. But eh; not the time to be thinking about that. "Hey. Asshole."

"Eh?" The operator turned to him with a sneer. "You really want—"

A single, quick punch from Ragna caught him in the temple and sent him sprawling to the back of the tent, unconscious. Grumbling to himself, Ragna stepped over the counter and, upon finding the plug the kept the tent alight, pulled it. Darkness fell on the game, leaving Ragna under decent cover for anyone who would chance to pass by. He reached up on his tiptoes and pulled the plush Hakumen that Tsubaki had so adored down, and turned to leave. After a moment of consideration, he stepped back over the counter and placed the meager remnants of his money down on it.

Clutching the toy around its waist with both arms, and quite aware that he looked like an idiot, Ragna marched away from the tent as swiftly as he could. He had to find Tsubaki, and keep her as far away from the tent as he could; no telling how an NOL chick with a justice fetish would react to the stunt he just pulled. He had almost left the carnival area entirely when he her voice again. "Ragna!"

Tsubaki came jogging up, but slowed down as she caught sight of him. And, more importantly, what he was holding. She came to a halt, mouth agape. That… that was… "…You… got it…?"

"Yeah. Saw a kid win there, paid him to win this." With a smile, Ragna extended the plush her way. "Here you go, Tsu."

"Ah…" Tsubaki stepped forward, resting her hands on the toy's body with a ginger touch. She looked up at Ragna, back down at the toy, back up with a blush, and finally pulled it out of his grasp. Then, with a high squeal of pure joy, she lunged in for the tightest hug she could muster, a crushing grip. "Th-thank you!"

She did _not_ want this to simply be a dream.

"Grk… no problem…" Hot chick. Squeezing him. Ragna had no complaints, although her surprising wiry strength did make it a bit harder to breath. Although made difficult by Tsubaki's grip, Ragna managed to return the embrace around her waist. "So, uh…" Everything was numbed by the embrace.

"Oh!" Tsubaki released her hug and stepped back, beaming up at him. "Well, um, I saw an arcade of sorts not far from here, and I was thinking we could stop by there. Or…" She looked down, fingers coming up to twirl her hair in a release of nervousness. "We could… um, continue on to the pinnacle here. It's…"

"Real nice, from what you've told me." Ragna grinned down at her. "So, why don't we head there for a bit, and maybe on the way back stop by the arcade?"

Tsubaki looked up and gave a fervent nod. "Alright. Let's get going." Hugging her new toy in one arm, she gripped Ragna's hand with her free hand and tugged him along in the direction of the pinnacle, almost skipping in her joy.

* * *

The pinnacle, as it turned out, was a high tower rising up from the mountainside, tall enough to overlook the entire city. The sheer height of the tower took its precipice even higher than that of the local NOL branch. As Ragna and Tsubaki approached the monolithic construct, Ragna slowed down. "Wait… How do we get up there?"

"The tower has an elevator inside it." Tsubaki smiled up at him, eager to reach the peaceful height before them. "It's a couple minutes to the top."

"Huh, alright. I was thinking the pinnacle was just, like, the top of the mountain or some shit. Not a tower."

"Mm, I thought so originally, too. But don't worry, it should be really nice." An air of wistfulness set into Tsubaki's smile. "The one back in Naobi, for example, had a hanging garden of sorts growing at its peak, and my father said that most are like that."

"…That does sound nice, yeah." Ragna smirked down at her and hooked her arm once more. "So, why don't we get going here?"


End file.
